Final answer:
Queen Salome took charge of Judea following her husband's death due to the common Hellenistic practice of women of elite status rising to power when the heir was a child or upon the king's death, and because female figures often played pivotal roles in maintaining dynastic succession and political stability.
Step-by-step explanation:
Queen Salome took charge of Judea after her husband's death because, in Hellenistic kingdoms, it was common for elite women to secure political power through arranged marriages and to rule when the designated heir was still a child or when the king passed away.
This practice was evident throughout the Hellenistic world, where dynastic queens like Cleopatra I assumed power to govern due to the infancy of their heirs.
Similar circumstances may have allowed for Queen Salome's assumption of power in Judea—having a rightful connection to the throne and stepping in to fill the political vacuum created by her husband's death.
Dynastic succession often relied on women, especially in cases where male heirs were too young to rule or where a strong female figure could better navigate the intricate web of political alliances and stabilize the region during a transitional period.